A Lobbyist By Any Other Name

John McCain has come under a lot of fire recently for hiring lobbyists to run his presidential campaign and now, in an effort to preserve his image as a crusader against special interests, the presumptive Republican nominee is trying to rid his staff of them. The press, however, is asking whether his vetting process is actually going to do the job. Over the weekend the New York Times took a shot at Rick Davis, McCain’s campaign manager, who is trying to enforce the rule that registered lobbyists not be on staff. Davis himself may no longer be a registered lobbyist, but he still has ties to past clients and enjoys access that others likely don’t have, the Times reported.

Perhaps it is mere coincidence, but three of the five clients that Davis lobbied for as recently as 2005 have given money to McCain’s campaign–and one is among his most generous donors. These include telephone companies Verizon and SBC (now AT&T) and German postal services company Deutsche Post. Verizon employees have given a total of $31,600 so far this election cycle, Deutsche Post has contributed $6,150. The biggest giver among Davis’s former clients, though, is AT&T, which accounts for $153,005 in contributions to McCain’s presidential campaign, making the telecom giant his fifth-largest contributor.

In addition, McCain’s campaign has asked only registered lobbyists to step down from their position on the campaign if they’re not willing to leave their posts on K Street. Lobbyists only have to register with Congress, however, if they spend more than 20 percent of their client’s time influencing lawmakers. “Influential people with fat Rolodexes can in effect lobby without having to register,” Sheila Krumholz, CRP’s executive director, told the Times.

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